Thoughts for the Day, March 26, 2025: Does the America that Neil Diamond sang about 50 years ago still exist today? See my Video of the Day
Opening Day
The Tigers have set their 26-man roster. The big surprise was that last year’s primary closer, Jason Foley, did not make the team and was assigned to the Toledo Mud Hens. The next surprise was that Justyn Henry Malloy did not make the team. Malloy was a key member of the late season run by the Tigers in 2024 with his ability to hit for power and a strong OPS. Utility player Ryan Kriedler made the team in place of Malloy. Kriedler can play three infield positions as well as centerfield.
The first pitch is Thursday at 7:00 PM on ESPN as the Tigers take on the world champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
*****************************************************************************************************
The Detroit Pistons
With their victory last night over the Spurs, the Pistons earned their 41st win, all but guaranteeing them a winning season with nine games remaining. It was the Pistons’ second victory in which all-star Cade Cunningham did not play. After tying a NBA record with 28 losses in a row and only winning 14 games last year, the turnaround in this season has been sensational. The 27-game improvement over the previous year is the second-best improvement in NBA history. The Boston Celtics record of 44 games improvement in a single season is out of reach.
The Pistons are guaranteed a playoff spot and are in the hunt for finishing in the top four of the Eastern Conference, which would guarantee a home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
***********************************************************************************************************
Not Coming to America
Per Bridge Magazine, border crossings between Canada and Michigan are down more than 10% from this time last year, as fear and resentment over the Trump administration’s policies prompt Canadians to cancel vacations and business trips to the US.
Michigan tourism officials say they’re bracing for a dip in business, while travel agents in Canada predict that the decline will worsen as their clients look elsewhere when planning summer vacations.
Northern Michigan will be impacted as many Canadians visit our golf courses and visit our cities and tourist attractions, especially Mackinaw Island.
From NPR, some European countries are warning their citizens who travel to the United States to strictly follow the country's entry rules or risk detention as the Trump administration cracks down on immigration enforcement.
The heightened advisories come after citizens from European countries have been detained and deported by immigration officials while traveling to the United States.
Germany's Foreign Office adjusted its travel advisory after several of its citizens were reportedly arrested and detained by immigration authorities while entering the U.S. The country is warning citizens that entering the U.S. through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) or a visa does not guarantee the right to enter the country.
The hit song America (from the Jazz Singer) by Neil Diamond no longer applies to this great country. See my Video of the Day and make sure you listen to the words.
The Breach
Two of the guiding principles I had in my career that served me well were:
· Don’t put anything in writing that I didn’t want to see on the front page of the local newspaper
· Don’t do anything that I could not support if I was being cross-examined under oath by the best lawyer in the world.
After reading the transcript of the text messages by Hegseth, Vance, Rubio and the rest of our defense leaders, I couldn’t help thinking that I should have shared my guidelines with them.
When you don’t know history, it is destined to repeat itself. They should have studied what brought down Kwame and Nixon. It was the text messages for Kwame and the tape recorder for Nixon. FUBAR
*******************************************************************************************************
More on the Breach-You cannot make this stuff up. No one would believe you.
Onion of the Day: Steve Witkoff. President Trump's Ukraine and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff was in Moscow when he was included in a group chat with more than a dozen other top administration officials — and inadvertently, one journalist — on the messaging app Signal, a CBS News analysis of open-source flight information and Russian media reporting has revealed.
No worries. Russia would never tap into the phone of a member of the Trump administration. Putin and Trump are buddies, and Putin wouldn’t want to jeopardize his relationship with Trump.
***********************************************************************************************************
I wonder how our European allies are feeling after reading the text messages.
The truth about how the Trump/Musk administration feels about our European allies is front and center in the text messages released by Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic. Here is what was said in the texts.
From JD Vance: “3 percent of US trade runs through the suez. 40 percent of European trade does. There is a real risk that the public doesn’t understand this or why it’s necessary. The strongest reason to do this is, as POTUS said, to send a message.”
Waltz: “Whether it’s now or several weeks from now, it will have to be the United States that reopens these shipping lanes. Per the president’s request we are working with DOD and State to determine how to compile the cost associated and levy them on the Europeans.”
Vance: if you think we should do it let’s go. I just hate bailing Europe out again.”
Hegseth: “VP: I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It’s PATHETIC. But Mike is correct, we are the only ones on the planet (on our side of the ledger) who can do this. Nobody else even close. Question is timing. I feel like now is as good a time as any, given POTUS directive to reopen shipping lanes. I think we should go; but POTUS still retains 24 hours of decision space.”
Miller: “As I heard it, the president was clear: green light, but we soon make clear to Egypt and Europe what we expect in return. We also need to figure out how to enforce such a requirement. EG, if Europe doesn’t remunerate, then what? If the US successfully restores freedom of navigation at great cost there needs to be some further economic gain extracted in return.”
*********************************************************************************************************
The Big Lie Continues
No matter how many court cases Trump lost and no matter how many of his staff told him he lost the election, Trump is convinced the only reason he lost the 2020 election was because of extensive voter fraud by the Democrats.
Trump and Republicans are using the gameplan from Project 2025 to implement laws to make it more difficult to register to vote as noted by Trump’s recent executive order.
Per the NY Times, President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a sweeping executive action to overhaul elections in the U.S., including requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections and demanding that all ballots be received by Election Day.
The order says the U.S. has failed “to enforce basic and necessary election protections” and calls on states to work with federal agencies to share voter lists and prosecute election crimes. It threatens to pull federal funding from states where election officials don't comply.
There is one minor problem with this executive order. States and local governments control elections rules. Expect many lawsuits.
Please call your members of Congress today. The U.S. Capitol switchboard is 202-224-3121. Tell the operator where you’re from and the operator will connect you to your representatives and senators. I tested this out today. It is very simple. They will ask for the congress member you want to contact. They will then switch you to that office.
*****************************************************************************************************
Quote of the Day: “VP: I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It’s PATHETIC.” Pete Hegseth as part of the infamous text breach.
Orchid of the Day: Representative Melanie Stansbury for standing up for veterans in the Government and Oversight Reform Subcommittee. She didn’t hold back her disdain for how the current administration is disrespecting and treating veterans since January 20, 2025. Which leads to my Question of the Day. Why are the women the ones with the biggest cajones in Congress?
Onion of the Day: Steve Witkoff-see above.
Lyrics of the Day: Once upon a time you dressed so fine
Threw the bums a dime in your prime. Didn't you?
People call, say, "Beware doll, you're bound to fall"
You thought they were all Kidding' you?
You used to laugh about Everybody that was hangin' out
Now you don't talk so loud Now you don't seem so proud
About having to be scrounging Your next meal.
If you think you know the answer, send me your answer in the comments section of the blog.
Answer to Lyrics of the Day for March 25, 2025: Shook me all Night Long by AC/DC
Question of the Day: Why are the women the ones with the biggest cajones in Congress?
Video of the Day: America (from the Jazz Singer) by Neil Diamond. Please listen to the words. I am not sure they apply anymore.
Neil Diamond - America (Live At The Greek Theatre / 2012)
Feel free to share my blog with others. To receive the blog in your email, please use the subscribe button or send an email to me at thomasdbiggs@gmail.com and I will start the process for you
Lyrics 3/26 - Bob Dylan, duh. I knew instantly. One of the best songs ever, ever, if not GOAT. Rolling Stone said so about 15 years ago.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, Leavitt said Witkoff had neither a personal nor a government-issued phone on him and instead was given a device with a “classified protected server by the United States government, and he was very careful about his communications when he was in Russia.”